Abstract
The perspective of the landscape architect is often missing from scholarly literature and media accounts that address the conditions of the shrinking city. This absence stems from both an alternative, cyclical reading of the urban condition within the discipline and a failure to develop theory and practice specific to different political, economic, and demographic situations. Landscape architects, through their process-based understanding of development, offer an important lens on the phenomenon. They recognize value in the abundant, cleared land; are comfortable with the slow process of its transformation; understand land management and maintenance as tools of design; and routinely operate across the multiple scales, from parcel to region, required for visionary restructuring. Here, I put forth the argument, through an expanded literature and project review, that there is an essential role for landscape architects in shaping the future of the shrinking city.
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